Imphal, December 24 2008: It needs no further introduction that Manipur is today passing through a very critical period - rather enduring a bloody phase to put it in the right earnest. Call it short-sightedness on the part of the authorities concerned or unwillingness to accept the prevailing fact that Manipur has indeed become a killing field today as the RIMS mortuary is unable to accommodate corpses brought for necessary procedures. Including three whose identifies have been confirmed the morgue till this evening is strewn with 10 bodies - a reality even more disturbing when one realises that today (December 24) is the eve of the holy Christmas a festival in celebration of truth and forgiveness and where violence has no place. With no sign of cessation in bloody clashes four corpses were deposited on December 22 at the mortuary where the existing freezer has capacity for accommodating only six bodies at a time. Out of the four slain and brought on this day, identity of one slain in a gun-fight with a combined team of Imphal West commandos and troops of 12 Maratha Light Infantry at Taobungkhok area has been identified as that of Okram Ranjit (27) of Arapti Maning Leikai. Following a reported encounter with another combined team of Bish-nupur district police com- mandos and troops of 4/8 gorkha Rifles at Irengbam Awang Leikai two armed activists suspected to be members of the banned KCP (MC) group were killed. Another person shot dead by personnel of Im-phal West district police commando and 39 AR at Yenkhaobung under Patsoi police station also remains unidentified. The bodies awaiting ide-ntification/disposal at the morgue include two slain by troops of 29 Assam Rifles at Nayum village of Chandel district on December 21. A day earlier, Imphal West district police commandos and troops of 23 AR had gunned down two suspected UGs at Ishikha whose identifies are yet to be established and are still at the mortuary.

Even though body of one Ningombam Ibomcha of Heirangoithong Mutum Leirak would be claimed tomorrow consequent to an agreement with the Government, the same is still at the mortuary thereby making the body count.